Trace-buckle.



No. 879,775. PATENTED FEB. 18, 1908.

T. H, JONES.

- TRACE BUCKLE} APPLIOATION FILED MAY 27. 1907.

WITNESSES: 6 AWE/770 A TTORNEi S UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

TILLMAN H. JONES, OF JUDA, WISCONSIN.

TRACE-BUCKLE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 18, 1908.

Application filed May 27, 1907. Serial No. 375.883-

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, TILLMAN H. J ONES, a citizen of the United States,residing at J uda, in the county of Green and State of WVisconsin, haveinvented a new and useful Trace- Buckle, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention relates to trace buckles and has for its object toprovide a buckle capable of being adjusted vertically of the skirt orbillet thereby to shift the position of the trace or tug.

A further object of the invention is to provide a trace buckle which maybe used on either side of the harness and which permits the employmentof a continuous billet between the skirt and belly band therebydispensing with loops, auxiliary buckles and similar devices foreffecting the adjustment of said trace buckle.

A further object is to form the buckle with a vertically disposedreinforcing bar having a curved bearing surface for engagement with thetrace or tug and provided with a rigid tongue or projection adapted toengage spaced openings in the connecting billet thereby to lock thebuckle in adjusted osition.

A still further object of the invention is to generally im rove thisclass of devices so as to increase 151611 utility, durability and efficiency.

Further objects and advantages will appear in the following description,it being understood that various changes in form, proportions and minordetails of construction may be resorted to within the scope of theappended claims.

In the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification:Figure 1 is a front elevation of a trace buckle constructed inaccordance with my invention showing the same in position on a trace ortug. Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional view taken on the line 22 ofFig. 1. Fig. 3 is a perspective View of the buckle detached.

Similar numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts in all of thefigures of the drawings.

The improved buckle forming the subject matter of the present inventionincludes a substantially rectangular frame comprising longitudinal sidebars 5 and 6 connected by transverse end bars 7 and 8. The side bars 5and 6 are off-set and provided with oppositely disposed strap receivingopenings 9 and 10 adapted to receive the strap or billet 11, the latterforming a connection between the skirt and belly band of the harness.

Extending transversely across the center of the buckle frame is areinforcing bar 12 having a flat upper face disposed flush with thelower walls of the strap-receiving openings 9 and 10 and provided with alaterally extending tongue or lug 13 adapted to enter any one of aseries of openings 14 formed in the billet or strap 11 whereby thebuckle may be adjusted vertically of said strap. One end of the buckleframe is extended below the plane of the side bars 5 and 6 and thenceextended laterally and provided with a strap-receiving opening 15, therebeing a tongue or projection 16 extending laterally from the centralportion of the opposite end bar 7 for engagement with the tug or trace17. The end bar 7 is preferably disposed in the same plane with the sidebars or members 5 and 6 while the lower face of the intermediatetransverse bar 12 is curved or rounded, as indicated at 18 so as toprevent cutting or otherwise injuring the trace 17, as shown. The trace17 is threaded through the buckle with the intermediate portion thereofbearing against the curved surface 18 of the transverse bar 12 and withone end of the trace extended over the bar 8 with the lug 16 engagingone of the openings 19 in said tug or trace thus locking the latter inposition on the buckle. The buckle is also provided with the usual bail19 which bears against the trace or long tug 17 at a point adjacent theend bar 7 and to which is attached the hame tug, indicated at 20.

Attention is here called to the fact that the strap or billet 11 isarranged at the rear of the trace or tug 17 and is spaced from thelatter by the bar 12 so as to permit the trace buckle to be adjustedvertically of the billet without the necessity of first releasing thetug from engagement with the trace buckle. In order to adjust the buckleon the-billet 11 it is merely necessary to exert a slight lateral pullon that portion of the strap 11 between the loops 9 and 10 so as todisengage the lug 13 from the opening in said strap and then move thebuckle in either direction until the desired adjustment is effected, thetongue 13 being subsequently introduced in the adjacent opening in thestrap 11 so as to lock the buckle in adjusted position on said strap.

The buckles may be made in difierent sizes and shapes and are soconstructed that they may be used on either side of the harness withequally good results.

From the foregoing description it will be seen that there is provided anextremely simple, inexpensive and eflicient device admirably adapted forthe attainment of the ends in view.

Havingvthus described the invention what is claimed is: v

1. A trace buckle including a frame having oppositely disposedstrap-receiving loops, a

bar extending transversely of the frame and provided with a tongueadapted to engage the strap, said bar being provided with a curvedbearing surface for engagement with a trace.

2. The combination with a billet strap, of a buckle adjustablevertically of the strap and provided with alined openings for thereception of said strap, a bar extending trans- 20 versely across thebuckle and having its fiat upper surface provided with a laterallyextending rigid tongue for engagement with the billet strap, theopposite face of the bar being curved or rounded, a trace threadedthrough the buckle in front of the billet strap and engaging the curvedbearing surface of the bar, and a lug projecting laterally from the oneside of the buckle and adapted to engage the trace.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto'affixedmy signature in the presence of two witnesses.

' TILLMAN H. JONES,

